MACH Energy of Oakland, Calif. recently conducted a survey among building professionals regarding energy management systems available for commercial real estate and the results are surprising. The research shows that property managers lack knowledge about energy management software, which sadly, leads to missed opportunities.

“A lot of people think they need building management systems before they can do energy efficiency,” said MACH Energy President Jon Moeller.

According to the approximately 800 building professionals surveyed, building owners think they need building management systems before they can implement energy management measures. Around 40 percent of them had installed energy management software, but 70 percent of that number count it as building management.

“This survey was designed with the goal of getting a more nuanced understanding of challenges faced by building professionals at all levels,” said Wei-En Tan, vice president at MACH. “We’ve found that although REITs and property owners understand the ROI potential of energy management systems across their portfolios very early on, the day-to-day decisions and implementation fall upon the people in the trenches—the property managers and chief engineers—who are clearly overwhelmed in what is still an early-adopter period.”

MACH’s research shows that one of the top reasons to invest in energy management software is reducing energy costs, and not increasing Energy Star scores. Furthermore, property managers expressed interest in real-time monitoring of energy, steam, and natural gas usage, according to Moeller. In conclusion, according to the survey’s results, property managers and building owners need to be taught the differences between building management systems and energy management systems.